An Approach to Spaced Repetition Methodology for Teaching Markup and Scripting Programming Languages

Contribution: This research full paper investigates the use of Spaced Repetition (SR) methodology in teaching markup and scripting programming languages to assess its impact on academic performance, knowledge retention and student perception of the learning process. Background: There is a quest for strategies capable of supporting students and helping them achieve better learning outcomes. The SR strategy, rooted in Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve, is widely utilized across multiple domains. This methodology has shown promising results in foreign language and medicine education, although it is not yet extensively explored in computer science education. Since its efficacy has been demonstrated notably in foreign language education, investigating its application within Computer and Engineering education disciplines could be beneficial, as programming languages share learning characteristics common to natural language. Research Questions: What is the impact of using SR methodology in teaching markup and scripting languages in relation to academic performance, knowledge retention and students’ perception of learning? Methodology: The methodological journey of this research included four phases: (1) Systematic literature review, (2) Development of an SR methodology approach for teaching markup and script languages, (3) Semi-structured interviews, and (4) Planning, execution and analysis of the field experiment. The statistical models used were the difference between means for measurements of the two samples and the chi-square test with two criteria. Findings: The results indicate significant differences between class grades, validating the influence of Interleaved Study with Spaced Repetition on improving participants' academic performance and content retention, compared to Concentrated Study with Massed Repetition. However, the results do not indicate that the teaching method has an influence on the students’ perception of learning.